Daily life of a cultivation judge

That surly-looking craftsman was currently in seclusion. He had gone in as a peak stage core formation expert, and if Old Lei's assumption proved true—which Yang Qing believed it would (if nothing else, he knew that old fiend to be a highly insightful individual)—then Chief Song Chuanli would be emerging from that seclusion as a domain expert, having leapt directly past the palace realm.

That wasn't to say he would necessarily skip the palace realm. It was just that, because of how deep his accumulations of the Grand Dao were, he wouldn't remain in the palace realm long enough to even be considered part of it. He would break through to the palace realm, and in the very next heartbeat, he'd already be at its peak, breaking through to the domain realm.

In fact, it wouldn't surprise Yang Qing if Chief Song Chuanli came out with a cultivation base already at the middle or even late stage of the domain realm. Knowing his temperament, Yang Qing felt the latter was far more likely. That man loved his work more than anything, and he hated nothing more than being pulled away from it, especially for a considerable amount of time.

So, to make sure he wouldn't have to go back into seclusion for another breakthrough anytime soon, that old craftsman would no doubt push himself as far as he could go… and who knew? Maybe the limit of those steps would land him in the late stage of the domain realm.

It would be just like Chief Song Chuanli if he did.

Moving from the peak stage of the core formation realm to the late stage of the domain realm wasn't quite as astounding as leaping from no cultivation at all to the domain realm, but it was still an incredible feat. And while Chief Song Chuanli's case was different from the latter, it still served as evidence that such a thing was possible—that someone could leap from mortal to powerful expert in a single bound.

He wasn't the only example, either. The creator of the cultivation art, The Mortal's Path to Transcendence, was another figure that lent credibility to the story of the Hebei Kingdom's founder. In fact, his case was more proof of the fact than that of Chief Song's. The former had been known for his mediocre aptitude in cultivation, and yet, through the cultivation art he created—and nothing else—he had managed to reach the soul formation realm.

So, to Yang Qing, it was entirely possible that the founder of the Hebei Kingdom had leapt straight from mortal to domain expert. The only part he remained skeptical about was the supposed intercession by the sages. That, he suspected, was likely the embellishment of some imaginative bard—one whom Yang Qing, despite his cheap nature, would gladly pay any number of spirit stones to hire.

The stories he could have that bard craft...

His potential side project aside, Yang Qing didn't find it strange for cultivators to leapfrog cultivation realms—especially those from the Hebei Kingdom.

The kingdom featured both an orthodox and an unorthodox cultivation system. The orthodox path was the common one: using cultivation arts to break through from body refinement onward. The unorthodox path, however, didn't require a cultivation art at all. Its progress was built entirely on the scholar's path—learning calligraphy, music, painting, poetry, tea-making, studying the Confucian classics and embodying them, learning history, statecraft, peering into established principles or exploring new ones.

Anything and everything that could be learned and studied—so long as one pursued it with sincere devotion—was considered part of the scholar's path.

By that definition, Yang Qing himself could be considered a scholar, given his love for breaking down cultivation arts or rebuilding fragmented ones. That, too, could be seen as a scholastic pursuit. However, in essence, he was still different from the scholars of Hebei who followed the unorthodox path.

Where he actively sought to improve his cultivation base—and his study of cultivation arts was, at least in part, aimed at that end—for the scholars of Hebei, it was different. For them, gaining a cultivation base was simply a consequence of their deep immersion in their chosen field of study.

For example, someone who loved to draw and paint might become so deeply absorbed in it that they stumbled onto the profound mysteries and truths tied to the Painting Dao. And in doing so, their body and soul could be transformed by those very mysteries—boom—they become cultivators.

Or take, for example, a scholar who studied soil so deeply—its composition, its nature, its effects on various forms of life—that they eventually touched upon some of the mysteries and truths associated with the Dao of Earth.

Every aspect of life and the world was born from the principles and truths of the Grand Dao, whether it be nature or more abstract concepts like governance, storytelling, art, or poetry. Every single part of life was rooted in it.

Immerse yourself deeply enough into something, and there was a very real chance you'd stumble onto the shores of the eternal river of the Grand Dao. That was the true source of enlightenment.

So no, Yang Qing didn't believe the founder of the Hebei Kingdom had leapt into the domain realm because of some sage spirit's blessing. But he did believe that the enlightenment the founder gained—through whatever he had been so deeply immersed in—was more than enough to catapult him into the domain realm.

To date, there hasn't been another scholar in Hebei Kingdom who achieved such a feat. But at the same time, Yang Qing had read countless proven accounts of their scholars directly leapfrogging through the lower realms due to sudden bursts of enlightenment, especially those following the unorthodox path.

If he remembered correctly, the current head of the National Imperial College was one such figure. He had gone from mortal to the peak stage of the core formation realm in a single bound, all through his mastery of painting. The records even stated he had formed a variant golden core. Presently, he was one of the domain experts of the kingdom.

There were countless other similar stories, though not many involved a breakthrough as dramatic as his. For most was a leap from mortal to the peak of the qi refinement realm, where they gained a unique type of qi known as Haoran qi. Over time, it had come to be seen as the mark of true scholarship in Hebei.

Haoran Qi was just as unique as his own universal qi. It was said to be a vast, noble, and awe-inspiring condensation of one's spirit. Yang Qing wasn't too sure about all that, but what he did know was that Haoran qi was lethal to fiend cultivators. It could restrain and purge their abilities, along with their cultivation bases. And those who possessed Haoran qi could almost instantly sense a fiend cultivator, no matter what disguise they used.

It was the reason the Hebei Kingdom had cycled through destruction and restoration. They had dismantled no small number of fiendish organizations in their wake, and in doing so, drew the ire of a group known for its easily irascible and violent nature. But unfortunately for those fiend cultivators, Hebei scholars were just as irascible and violent—at least when it came to fiend cultivators.

There were times the kingdom was nearly brought to ruin, but it held on, thanks in part to its deep foundation and the power of Haoran qi. But the greater reason lay in the nature, history, and conduct of the kingdom itself. Their openness in sharing knowledge and discoveries, and even their inclusivity in who could become a scholar within their borders—spirit beasts and spiritual plants among them—earned them admiration from many.

Because of that breadth of spirit and character, various organizations had stepped in from time to time to prevent the kingdom's destruction.

The Jade Leaf Empire could be counted among their admirers. So too could the Order, though within the Hebei Kingdom itself, opinions on the Order were somewhat divided.